Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-07-08

4 any leafS lest her Well-knoWh sweet
r ness of temperament should unfit he
/. to cope with Aunt Myra, they wer
/. quickly dispelled. To two people II
c this world could Aunt Debby be sterl
i, Deacon Grant and his aunt; TO
9 hadn't they--to use her own words
taken all the life and hope out of m,
d blessed babyp"
Keep Aunt Myra out of the roomp'
= she had said in answer to the doctor
. command; 'if she comes in. it will
, be over my PROSTATE form. y
I But Aunt Myra was not so sasily KEEP
c out; she proved herself fertile in expe
( dents for reaching that chamber door,
and many were the passages at-arms
she had with Aunt Debby in the hall
, on the staircase wherever she could
manage to waylay her.
Aunt Debby always locked the door
and put the key in her pocket whenev,
er she was obliged to leave the room,
but one day having failed to do so, she
returned TO find her patient in hyster-
ics, with Aunt Myra standing over her
and lecturng her in high key on the
sin of mourning so much expense. with
nothing the matter but laziness.
After that the deacon himself was
obliged to present to his aunt the al
tentative of keeping out of the sick.
room, or leaving the house. and she
chose the former in high dudgeon.
These were strange days for Deacon
Grant. Never, sincehe had had house
OF his own. had he passed a week with
/ N fnl hat tt nd
virtue was fast rusting through disuse
Even the most assiduous droppers-in
had ceased to come, for tho doctor had
not failed to notify the entire village
that there must be no guests at the
Grand mansion. Vas there anything
the matter with his wife, anyway ?
Aunt Myra said there was not, and
Aunt Myra was an experienced nurse.
She complained of no pain--only lay
white and still. 1t did seem as If It
were nothing but nervousness, and II
there was anything woman ought not
TO be humored in, it was nerves Fine
airs this young doctor was putting on (!
What II Aunt Myra were right, and IL
was all plot between him and Aunt
Deborah !
Thus, for week, the deacon mmed,
and on Sunday he started for the mill
his grand recruiting place for guests,
His wife heard the heavy wagon lum-
bcring outof the yard, and though she
said not a word, Aunt Deborah noticed
that she grew more and more restless
as the morning wore on and the pink
flush on her cheek deepened to Grim
son,
When the doctor came at noon. he
found her in a high fever. Hum ~
he said. with an ominous shake of the
head. II have bin fighting typhoid
symptoms from the first. and it looks
now as If they had gotten the better of
nue.. What has occasioned the changer
Have you any idea
The words were hardly spoken before
Mrs. Grant sprang up with n wild
light in her eye, crying, Hush they've
come. Did't tell you SO He attoays
brings them from the mill. l must 90
right down and get dinner !" while, at
the same instant steps were heard on
the piazza below, and gruff masculine
voice announcing, "You have fine
view here, deacon.
Company ~ gasped Aunt Debby,
and then flew to her charge. for it re-
quired all her own and the doctors
strength to keep her In bed
All that afternoon she raved "Is
there meat enough 0 Sarah. have
you made the coffee ? How many are
they Ten. twanty, oh, hundreds, and
and hundreds How can | feed them
all ? And Aunt Myra says the bread is
sour; she'll be sure to say il before
them. o James James!
The success OF the dinner party was
never known. The deacon left before
they were seated at the table, and hur-
ried away, panic-strlcken, to his wfc's
room, whence, as the sight of him only
increased her rawlings. he was sum
marily eje1ed by the doctor All her
wild words burned into his soul, fixing
as he afterwards said, the brand of Cain |
upon his brow.
There followed weary weeks--w weeks
Of anxious watching, weeks of prayer
and agony. Even Aunt Myra eemed
strangely subdued, while the deacon
moved about like man from whom all
nope had been crushed. There seemed
10 ground for hope, and yet they hop
ID and waited.
At last came the crisis ITO night"
said the doctor, 'the fever will turn.
will watch while you both go away aud
,ray;" for he knew well that neither
bursting heart could bear the strain of
hat watch.
Aunt Derby threw herself on the
ofa in the little parlor, and lay mo-
ionless; the deacon went out of doors.
iour after hour he walked back and
orth in dumb anguish which could
ind no Inference, even in prayer. At
asst he dragged himself into the parlor,
nd said pleadingly, Aunt Debby, do
'ou think there's any hopep"
Yes" was the calm reply, "there
) great hope for her--that she will
oon be in land where company is
Unknown; and there is hope for you,
90. You can air your favorite text
n her tombstone only should like
0 add footnote, saying that, in this
lstance. the given is used instead of
sacrificed.
20 my God ~ said the stricken
nan. bowing his head upon his hands;
my punishment is greater than l can
ear"
Dear friends.' broke in the doctor {
"a glad note of JOY in his voice-''let
s give thanks to the Father. The |
risis is passed. and she is sleeping I
weetly. -
And they gave thanks, with stream I
lg ewes aud bated breath; such thanks I
s can come only from hearts who {